Cable-controller for electrical apparatus.



R. J. F. S. BARON. CABLE CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.23,19OB.

972,319. Patented Oct. 11,1910.

3min JOSEPH rneivcors SAMUEL BARON, or rams, rmon.

CABLE-CONTROLLER FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

Application filed January 23, 1906. Serial No. 297,507.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rnxii JOSEPH F RAN- gois SAMUEL Bsaox, ,a citizen ofthe Republic of F ranoe, and residing in Paris, F rance, have invented acertain new and useful Cable-Controller for Electrical Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a movable drum on which are wound up, withouttaking up too much space, the electric wires connecting a line or acircuit to a lamp, telephone or other electric apparatus, for thepurpose of enabling this apparatus to be moved within a larger radius,without the unutilized portion of the wire being in the way. Thismovable drum is placed-against the ceiling or any other fixed partition.It allows the wire to be unwound under the action exercised for movingthe electric apparatus, and to be automatically wound up, as soon as theapparatus is replaced under the action of the winding-up spring arrangedin the drum. In the event of the drum being arranged atthe ceiling of aroom, it can be used instead of the suspension arrangement in whichbalance weights are employed, and enables lamps to be moved vertically,and out of the vertical, within a large radius.

In the accompanying drawing it has been assumed that the movablewinding-up a-nd unwinding drum is applied to lamps for lighting,although it could be equally well applied to telephones and bells.

Figure 1 shows in vertical section through the axis an electric lampsuspended below a movable drum fixed to the ceiling. The lamp L is shownin elevation in vertical position. Fig. 2 is a plan of the movablewinding and unwinding drum. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the casingon line a; a: Fig. 2 showing the arrangement of the curved guidebringing the electric cable from the horizontal to the verticalposition. Fig.

4 is a plan of said casing seen from the upper part.

The movable drum is covered by a stamped or molded cap 1 secured to theceiling. The drum is constituted by a circular central chamber 2 inwhich is mounted a spiral spring 3 one of the ends of which is securedto the drum and the other to the central spindle i. The spindle of thedrum Around the spring chamber 2 the drum is provided with metallicchecks 6 between which is wound the cable 7 consisting of in sulatedwires conveying the electric current.

The hollow central spindle 4c is welded at the top of a hollow truncatedprojection 8 fixed in a. central circular groove of the casing 1; thisprojection is cut at 9 on a portion of its outer surface in order toprovide a passage for a curved guide 10, traversed by the cable 7 andhaving a diameter a little larger than the cable. The upper part of saidcurved guide 10 ends horizontally between the cheeks 6 of the drum andits lower vertical part ends a little above the lower part of the casing1; this curved guide which is counter-bent at its lower part is weldedto the innerwall of the casing 1; it descends gradually and comes out atthe end of the casing opposite to the axis of the lower exit opening ofthis casing 1. Owing to its curved shape, the conduit serves as a brakewhen the lamp L is suspended and stops it at any point of its descent.

On the upper surface of the ebonite cheek 6 are secured two concentricmetallic circles 11 and 12 which are thus insulated. Against each ofthese circles rests a metallic tongue 13 or ll. At each of the circlesor rings 11 and 12 there terminates the end of one of the electric wiresconstituting the wound-up cable 7, and each contact tongue 13 or ll isconnected either direct or by means of a separate terminal 15 or 16which placesit into communication with the circuit wire. The cable 7 intraversing the counter-bent guide 10 bears against its various curves sothat the friction exercised by the guide 10 on the cable '7 suflices torelieve the lamp L from the action of the rolling up spring 3 and allowsof its being stopped automatically at any point of its descent withoutusing a stop device. In order to increase the force of the brake actionof the guide 10 it is sufficient to increase its length without changingthe points where the mouth-pieces of its extremities end.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the power of the spring3 bringing about the automatic winding-up, is regulated in such mannerthat the weight of the lamp L and of its fittings should not producealone either the winding or unwinding of the cable 7. The unwinding isthen obtained by a pull exercised by hand by pulling a sleeve E arrangedabove the lamp L, and the windin is obtained b sli htly raising the lampL for slackening the cable 7 which being thus relieved, no longer actsas a brake in the guide 10 and is immediately drawn back by the spring 3and wound up between the checks or stands 6. At any point a: of thecable 7 can be secured a stop of a larger diameter than that of the holemade in the socket 8 for the purpose of preventing the cable from beingdrawn in beyond the said stop when fitting up the lamp.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isIn a windin up device for an electric cable, the comb1nat1on of acasing, a hollow vertical spindle within said casing, a winding-up drumfor the cable arranged in the casing and loosely mountedabout saidhollow spindle, a spiral spring arranged in the central chamber of thedrum, one of the ends of said spring being secured to the drum and theother to said hollow spindle, two concentricmetallic circles securedoutwardly in cable and serving to the upper cheek of the insulatingmaterial of the drum, means for connecting said circles respectively tothe wires composing the cable, two metallic friction devices terminatingrespectively on each of the concentriccircles and being adapted todistrlbute the current of the electric circuit to the wires of thecable, and a curved counterbent guide secured to the inner wall of thecasing, said guide bein i e it from the horizontal position whic itoccupied on the drum, to the vertical position 1n rolongation of thehollow spindle, and a o acting as a brake upon the cable In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

RENE JOSEPH FRANQOIS SAMUEL BARON.

Witnesses:

ALBERT MAULVAULT, Hanson C. Coxn.

traversed by the

